Flavor ingredient regulatory record
Isoamyl acetate
Isoamyl acetate is an ester in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2055 (CAS 123-92-2). Its odor is banana, pear, fruity, sweet, estery.
- FEMA
- 2055
- CAS
- 123-92-2
- JECFA
- 43
- EU FL
- 09.024
- Formula
- C7H14O2
- EC
- 204-662-3
GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 3. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 123-92-2.
Structure
Identity
Also known as: 1-Butanol, 3-methyl-, 1-acetate, Isopentyl alcohol, acetate, 1-Butanol, 3-methyl-, acetate, Acetic acid, isoamyl ester, Banana oil, Isoamyl ethanoate, Isopentyl acetate, 3-Methylbutyl acetate, Pear oil, Acetic acid 3-methylbutyl ester, i-Amyl acetate, 3-Methyl-1-butyl acetate.
Can Isoamyl acetate be labeled natural?
The process decides for isoamyl acetate. It occurs in nature, so a natural-source, natural-process material is natural flavor in the US and synthetic isoamyl acetate is artificial. The EU and UK grant the natural claim only to that natural route; Mercosur and Mexico call synthetic material identical-to-natural.
- United States
- Natural or artificial, by process
- European Union and UK
- Natural only from natural material
- Mercosur and Mexico
- Natural or identical-to-natural
How each market defines the classes: natural vs artificial flavor under 21 CFR 101.22.
Regulatory status, with citations
United States
Isoamyl acetate is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 2055. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 172.515.
European Union and United Kingdom
Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 09.024, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (JECFA). The UK retains the same list.
JECFA (WHO / FAO)
JECFA number 43, evaluated at the 46th meeting in 1996. ADI 0 to 3 mg/kg body weight.
Other US flags
Not on the California Proposition 65 list. Listed on the EPA TSCA inventory.
TSCA Inventory status
A flavor ingredient is also an industrial chemical. Isoamyl acetate appears on the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act Chemical Substance Inventory under CAS 123-92-2, where EPA names it 1-Butanol, 3-methyl-, 1-acetate.
Active in US commerce
EPA designates this substance active, so no Notice of Activity Form B is required before manufacturing. What active and inactive mean.
EPA publishes no regulatory flags on this listing. What the flags mean.
From the EPA non-confidential TSCA Inventory, July 2026 release. EPA also maintains a confidential portion it does not publish. Search the Inventory by CAS number.
Odor and taste
Odor: Banana, pear, fruity, sweet, estery.
Taste: Banana, pear, sweet fruity.
Where it is used
Isoamyl acetate is used in banana, pear, fruit flavors and confection, typically as a fruity note.
Structurally similar flavor ingredients
Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to Isoamyl acetate by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.
| Material | FEMA | Similarity | Occurrence |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Heptanone | 2544 | 88% | In nature |
| (E)-6-Methyl-3-hepten-2-one | 4001 | 74% | Not determined |
| Isoamyl propionate | 2082 | 73% | In nature |
| 6-Methyl-5-hepten-2-one | 2707 | 71% | In nature |
| Isoamyl formate | 2069 | 67% | In nature |
More esters in this index
6-[5(6)-Decenoyloxy]decanoic acid · Ethyl acrylate · Methyl 3-(methylthio)propionate · Isoamyl phenylacetate · Butyl anthranilate · Isoamyl salicylate
Isoamyl acetate FAQ
Is isoamyl acetate FEMA GRAS?
Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists isoamyl acetate as GRAS under FEMA number 2055. The Code of Federal Regulations lists it at 21 CFR 172.515.
What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for isoamyl acetate?
Isoamyl acetate is FEMA 2055, CAS 123-92-2. Its flavor category is fruity.
How is isoamyl acetate described, and where does it show up?
Flavorists describe isoamyl acetate as banana, pear, fruity, sweet, estery. On the palate it is banana, pear, sweet fruity. It is used in banana, pear, fruit flavors and confection.
What did JECFA conclude about isoamyl acetate?
JECFA evaluated isoamyl acetate at the 46th meeting in 1996 under JECFA number 43.
Is isoamyl acetate on the EU Union List?
Yes. FL 09.024 is the Union List entry for isoamyl acetate, annex I Part A, under Regulation 1334/2008, and the UK keeps the same list.
Does isoamyl acetate count as natural in the US and the EU?
Nature makes isoamyl acetate, which is why the US label turns on process. A natural route gives natural flavor; synthesis gives artificial isoamyl acetate, same molecule. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.
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Guides: What Is FEMA GRAS? · Natural vs artificial · Filing a GRAS notification
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Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as ISOAMYL ACETATE under CAS 123-92-2 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number and its 21 CFR citations. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavoring agent or adjuvant.
A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided and is worth reading alongside this page.
Ambrose Compliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FEMA. FEMA and FEMA GRAS are used here as identifiers for a published regulatory determination, not as marks of any relationship between FEMA and Ambrose.
About this page. Facts come from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, the Code of Federal Regulations, the EPA TSCA Inventory, the EU Union List, JECFA and the Ambrose database, with FEMA's published determination cited where it applies; parts of the text are written by Ambrose AI, which can make mistakes. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. This is not regulatory or legal advice.